1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing apparatuses and methods, and programs used therewith, and in particular, to an information processing apparatus and method for assisting a user in efficient zapping in a limited time, and a program used therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case of the related art, a user who watches and listens to a broadcast program on a predetermined channel on a television receiver may perform so-called “zapping”, that is, an operation for changing channels and confirming what type of program is broadcast on another channel, in a case such as when the broadcast program is interrupted and a commercial message starts. Technologies for assisting with zapping are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-101941, 2005-159521, and 2000-253325.
The number of broadcast programs the user can watch and listen to tends to increase. Accordingly, in a limited time such as a commercial message period, it is very difficult for the user to evenly switch desired broadcast programs among a large number of broadcast programs even if the user uses the technologies of the related art in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-101941, 2005-159521, and 2000-253325. In other words, at present, it is difficult for the user to perform efficient zapping in a limited time even if the user uses the technologies of the related art in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-101941, 2005-159521, and 2000-253325.